Page 102 of Dan.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I tell him, keeping my voice not too loud. “For a minute I was really afraid you weren’t going to show.”
To my surprise, Dan replies with a flippant comment, “You should thank my dad, he’s the one who literally dragged me here.”
I know his words are meant to be hurtful, but despite his lack of enthusiasm, I want to show him how much I appreciate him, but I have to find the right time.
As we continue our walk towards the lake, my father calls Dan over to join him. The two men talk quietly, heads tilted toward one another while Bram and Toby circle the area. When I see my two companions talking and checking their rifles, I can't help but feel my heart warm, even though they are both pretty annoying to me at the moment. I am so thankful that my boyfriend and my father have such a good relationship, especially compared to the relationship that Andries and Roxanne have with him.
I take a moment to reflect on the situation and can't help but think about how lucky I am to have Dan in my life. Despite his initial resistance to the hunting trip, he still made the effort to come and be with me today. I know that we have had our challenges in the past, but seeing them work together and have a good time, gives me hope for our future. I vow to cherish every moment we have together and to make the most of our time during the hunt. And, whether Dan wants to or not, we’re going to have that heart-to-heart.
36
Dan
Trudgingthrough the underbrush with Elise and Sebastian, I can't help but feel a bit out of place. Hunting has never been my thing, even if I am a decent hand at it, but here I am, trying to make a good impression on Elise's father, like he’s a stranger I’ve never met before rather than my best friend’s father. It’s so complicated dating Elise, but in other ways, it’s so much easier than dating someone from a family dynamic I’m not familiar with. At least I know that, on some basic level at least, Sebastian likes me.
Although, I’m getting the feeling that Sebastian and Elise don’t like each other too much right now, making me a sort of extra awkward third wheel.
Sebastian begins to fill me in on the details of the day’s trip after I peel away from Elise, not ready to talk with her about everything. I need a long period of time to set the record straight, not little minute long snippets of conversation here and there. Her father tells me about the beautiful lake we’ve just arrived at, as well as how often they see mallards here. The two sleek, muscular dogs are obviously excited about something, which bodes well for a successful hunt.
We circle the lake, and I’m thankful when we stick to the topic of hunting, but just as that thought crosses my mind, Sebastian takes the conversation in a totally different direction. His expression becomes serious and I can tell he has something important to say to me. If it has to do with his daughter, who is hanging about a dozen feet behind us, I know it’s not going to be easy to hear, but there is nothing I can do but grin and bear it. At least it’s a nice day out, if nothing else.
“Dan,” he starts, checking over his shoulder to make sure his daughter is far enough away that she won’t hear us. “I want you to know that Elise truly cares for you. She's been through a lot lately, and she needs someone like you in her life.” I nod, unsure of where this is going, considering the fact that Sebastian himself is the catalyst for a lot of her problems. “And I also want to let you know that Johan is just a friend of hers. You don't have to worry about him,” he continues.
I play dumb, hoping to get as many pieces to the puzzle of what went on the weekend Johan stayed at the family estate as possible. “How can you be so sure?” I inquire.
Sebastian hesitates for a moment, eyebrows drawing together as if he doesn’t quite believe that I’m so in the dark, before continuing, “Hannah is quite excited about going to England for the Horse Show this fall, is all I mean. She’s a handful, so trust me, Johan won't be thinking about Elise for long.”
I'm taken aback. It almost sounds like he’s inferring that Hannah and Johan… but no, certainly not. She’s much too young for Johan to be showing any sort of interest in her. “But isn’t Hannah a bit young to be going to a foreign country on her own?” I ask, genuinely concerned.
Sebastian shakes his head, shouldering his rifle. “She’s turning sixteen and she’s perfectly capable of going on her own. I just wanted to make sure you knew where things stand.”
I thank Sebastian for his honesty and try to process everything he’s told me. I knew Elise was giving her equestrian show tickets to Hannah, but now that I have time to think about it, I don't know how I feel about Hannah and Johan going alone. Still… I guess it’s none of my business. At least I know El didn’t lie to me about having no interest in attending the show with him. It makes me feel slightly better about whatever went on that weekend, but I’m still not convinced it was as innocent as Elise is making it out to be.
The morning is growing later, the smell of the pine-heavy forest mixing with the dark, earthy smell of decay coming from the edge of the lake. The water ripples and bubbles as the fish rise with the day to eat the insects that hover over the surface, but we aren’t interested in that sort of animal today. This is so much different from being stuck in the dark woods hunting large game, and I think that maybe I might enjoy hunting more if it was always like this.
Things grow quiet, and I turn slowly to see Elise aiming her rifle, one of the dogs standing at her side at a perfect point. El moves with a silent grace, her head tilting to the side and her long braid falling over her shoulder as she moves her eye to the sight and with perfect precision, takes the shot towards the gathering of ducks that I hadn’t even seen. The rest of them explode into the air as the sun-shot cracks the air, and the dog rushes forward into the brambles, returning with the limp bird, neck shining emerald green, between its teeth.
Elise beams at the dog, ruffling its fur before taking the mallard gingerly from its mouth. “Good boy, Toby,” I hear her praise, and the dog runs circles around her legs, tongue lolling happily.
Sebastian, clearly impressed, walks over and praises her on her successful shot. Elise is tense as her father approaches, but melts under his approval like she always does. Even if Sebastian is angry at her, there’s no denying that she had taken a beautiful shot, and her natural ability shined through. Hell, I want to congratulate her too, even if we’ve only spoken two sentences to each other in weeks.
As I reflect on this moment, I feel grateful to be somewhat a part of this family. They have accepted me with open arms, and I feel lucky to have them in my life, even if they can be out of control and at each other’s throats at times. Andries is who brought me into the fold, but every member has been kind to me. I hope that once the dust settles, the family will be a united front again, and who knows, maybe one day I will be the one being praised for my hunting skills.
All of that depends, though, on how Sebastian and Julia react to Andries and Roxanne’s wedding. Sebastian especially has done so much damage to his son that I have a difficult time imagining that they will make up with one another easily. Still, there is hope, as long as Sebastian makes the right choice.
Lost in thought, I wait while the ducks settle once more, and prepare to take my own shot. My head is in the clouds as I decide what angle to take and when Elise appears next to me, I nearly jump out of my skin.
“Do you need help?” she asks quietly, a mischievous look on her face.
I scowl, my gaze focused on the mallards. “I'm good, thanks.” But despite my confidence, I can feel her watching me closely as I take aim. Suddenly, she steps forward and her hands reach out to me. “Your shoulder should be a bit higher.”
When Elise puts her hands on me, static shock fizzles over my entire body. God, I have missed this fucking woman, but she is not helping me right now by any means. Despite her well-meaning help, I miss my shot and let out a frustrated sigh as the birds take to the air in a flurry. Fortunately, Elise has got the decency to keep whatever snarky remark to herself.
With a question forming in the back of my mind, I glance over at Sebastian, who is a bit further away, and then back at his daughter, and ask, “Did you tell your dad we are together?”
She nods, looking slightly smug. “I did, yes.”
I shoulder my rifle and scrub my hands over my face. Leave it to me to fall in love with the most unpredictable creature on the face of the planet. “Fuck! Why on earth would you do that?”